Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations

California Senate OKs Mandatory Vaccine Bill

The measure is now headed for the desk of Gov. Jerry Brown, who has not publicly stated whether he would sign it.

Los Angeles Times:
California Legislature Passes Mandatory Vaccination Bill
Gov. Jerry Brown must now decide whether to sign into law a bill that would require mandatory vaccinations for nearly all California schoolchildren. The measure, spawned by an outbreak of measles at Disneyland that ultimately infected more than 150 people, cleared its final legislative hurdle Monday in the state Senate. Brown has not said publicly whether he would sign it. (Mason, 6/29)

The Wall Street Journal:
California Vaccination Bill Passes, Heads To Governor
The California Senate on Monday passed a much-debated bill to restrict vaccine exemptions, putting one of the country’s strongest state-level efforts to clamp down on unvaccinated students in the hands of Gov. Jerry Brown. Senate Bill 277, spurred by a measles outbreak that began last year at Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, Calif., allows for medical exemptions but doesn’t permit parents to cite personal beliefs to avoid vaccines for children attending school. (Porter, 6/29)

The Sacramento Bee:
California Senate Sends Mandatory Vaccines Bill To Governor
After months of packed committee hearings and lengthy floor debates, California’s controversial mandatory vaccinations proposal now heads to Gov. Jerry Brown for consideration. In a 24-14 concurrence vote, the state Senate on Monday accepted Assembly amendments to Senate Bill 277, which would eliminate California’s personal and religious belief exemptions for vaccinating schoolchildren, and sent the measure to Brown’s desk. (Koseff, 6/29)

The Associated Press:
Experts: California Vaccine Bill Would Prevent New Outbreaks
If California's strict school vaccine bill becomes law, experts believe it could help prevent another outbreak like the one that occurred at Disneyland. The bill was introduced after a measles outbreak traced to the theme park in December infected over 100 people in the U.S. and Mexico. It would likely be successful in increasing immunization rates and stopping the spread of disease, pediatric doctors said Monday after the Senate sent the legislation to the governor. (6/20)

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